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Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLC

Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP   One Park Row Suite 300 Providence, RI 02903 | 15 Franklin Street Westerly, RI 02891
TELEPHONE: 401.453.6400   FAX: 401.453.6411
Robert D.

Robert D. Fine

Partner

Email:

Phone: 401.453.6400

Fax: 401.453.6411

Rhode Island Professional Excellence in Law award 2022

Mr. Fine leads the firm's Business & Civil Litigation Group. He has extensive trial experience in state and federal courts and is serving as the general counsel to the receiver for Rhode Island-domiciled insurance companies in receivership liquidation proceedings. Mr. Fine has extensive corporate litigation and anti-trust experience including the defense of a Fortune 500 company. He has written and lectured extensively in the area of employment law and the American with Disabilities Act. He is a board member of the Penn Alumni Club of Rhode Island, the Gordon School and a former board member of Temple Beth-El.

Mr. Fine is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been named a leading business litigation lawyer by the New England Super Lawyers directory. He has been selected as a Leader in the Law by Rhode Island Lawyers' Weekly.

Mr. Fine is one of the founders of Chace Ruttenberg & Freedman, LLP. He was formerly a partner in the Providence law firm of Tillinghast Licht & Semonoff, LLP.

Representative Matters

  • Marques v. Pawtucket Mutual Insurance Co., 915 A.2d 745 (RI 2007): representing state court appointed rehabilitator of insurance company which successfully emerged from rehabilitation, defending claims of creditors challenging rehabilitation plan.
  • Whitehouse v. Rumford Property and Liability Insurance Co., 658 A.2d 506 (RI 1995): representing state court appointed receiver of an insurance company in litigation regarding claim filing procedures and bar dates.
  • UXB Sand and Gravel v. Rosenfeld Concrete Corp., 599 A.2d 1033 (RI 1991): represented by and seller of land with mineable gravel operations and defeated antitrust claims of previous renter.
  • Serzan v. Director of Dept. of Evnironmental Mgmt., 692 A.2d 671 (RI 1997): successfully represented landowner in a claim for additional compensation in an eminent domain case.
  • Niehoff v. Maynard, 299 F.3d 41 (1st Cir. 2002): represented investors in private placement against managing member for breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Rosciti v. Insurance Co. of State of Penn., 659 F.3d 92 (1st Cir. 2011): represented motor vehicle purchaser in precedent setting direct action against tortfeasor's insurer and obtained reversal of adverse ruling by lower court.

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center (JD)
  • University of Pennsylvania (BA, cum laude)
  • University of London (MA)

Bar Memberships

  • Rhode Island
  • Massachusetts
  • United States District Court, District of Rhode Island
  • United States District Court, District of Massachusetts
  • United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit

Associations

  • Rhode Island Bar Association